Axiom San Francisco opens
Host Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Axiom Hotel, San Francisco. Managed by Kokua Hospitality with design from New York City-based Stonehill & Taylor, the hotel is situated at the famed Cable Car turnaround at the nexus of historic Union Square and innovative Mid-Market, offering 152 guestrooms and tech-forward amenities.
“We are thrilled to open our doors to the streets of San Francisco,” commented General Manager Garry Cox. “Our team has worked tirelessly to transform this historic building into a cutting-edge property that’s literally at the axiom of history and the digital revolution.”
A LEED-certified project, Axiom welcomes those who desire a digital lifestyle delivered through seamless technology and thoughtful service. In addition to iPad-assisted check-in, complimentary fibre optic Wi-Fi, and easy access plug-ins to mobile devices, Axiom unveils high-tech elements that put the hotel at the forefront of the hospitality-meets-technology revolution.
Each room presents a distinctive configuration based on size and floor plan, as the hotel is located in a historical building, with four room choices named after tech bytes including Nano & Mono Queen, Meta Queen, Mono King, and E-King.
Catering to both business and leisure travellers, state-of-the-art amenities include 48-inch Samsung Smart TVs; smartphone docking stations; Kube Bluetooth clock radios; complimentary Internet access via lightning-fast fibre optic cabling; and an optimal green technology that requires less energy to operate while delivering speeds five to 10 times faster than an average hotel’s Wi-Fi.
The televisions are equipped with Apple TV for seamless Internet access and streaming for iOS devices, hotel and area informational guides, a mobile app for guest information, and room service ordering. In addition, guestrooms provide convenient USB outlets at the tabletop level for easy access without a limitation on the number of devices that can be connected to Wi-Fi.
Axiom’s guestrooms also include mini refrigerators, tiled showers with glass doors, signature Axiom robes, convenient task desks that can be moved to any location, and high-end Lather guestroom amenities. The basement level offers a Core fitness centre, open 24 hours a day and complete with Life Fitness equipment and cardio machines with integrated HD monitors.
As a LEED-certified boutique hotel, Axiom has sustainability efforts that coincide with the green city of San Francisco. Guestrooms feature a whisper quiet, high efficiency HVAC system with integrated energy management; LED lighting throughout; a high efficiency instantaneous hot water system; and dual-flush toilets.
The Turn Cafe is a cafe bar designed for those on the go where people meet, interact, and recharge. Guests and locals are offered a variety of dishes prepared with fresh, local, and organic ingredients throughout breakfast, lunch, and dinner for both sit down and takeaway. Menu items include organic juices, local micro-roast coffee, artisan sandwiches, and the signature Axiom™ Burgermade with 100% grass-fed Niman Ranch beef. For those unwinding in the evening from their digital lifestyles, guests can enjoy shared plates alongside a full bar with handcrafted specialty cocktails and a variety of local wines.
Inspired by San Francisco’s iconic cable car system and catering to the modern digital lifestyle, the hotel draws architectural and technological inspiration from the Bay Area and from the inventor of the steel ropes that pull the iconic cable cars, Andrew Hallidie. Stonehill & Taylor has created distinctive lighting, technological advancements, and innovative artwork throughout the property to bring Axiom’s vision of contemporary and edgy design to life.
Guests enter the hotel through a hidden tunnel of light in the hallway and are greeted with a one-of-a-kind chandelier. Supporting Axiom’s visualisation as a high-tech and design-forward property, the hotel features custom murals from local street artists, 1AM. Inspired by the visual representation of the word ‘Axiom’ and the angular typeface, the hotel’s murals, located in the property’s light wells, mimic the word’s lines and angles by using a grid of triangles to form a geometric composition. The palette of colours contrasts against the grey of the building’s exterior and aims to create a surprise for guests as they peer out of guestroom windows. Glitch art, or works that depict intentional digitized glitches over historic-style photography, can be found throughout the public spaces.
The mezzanine level – named the Cloud, a nod to the hotel’s digital influence – features classic arcade games that further fuse vintage entertainment with present-day gadgets. Offering a destination with exciting design and a variety of social settings, the Cloud will feature an iPad station for easy food and beverage ordering, seating areas including a communal table with easily accessible outlets for device charging, and a ‘selfie station’ with a live social media feed.
The first level and lobby area – dubbed the Hallidie Library as homage to Hallidie Square, located next to the hotel – features a harmonious mix of old and new with vintage photographs and a collection of books interspersed among decidedly modern furnishings and other pieces. In addition, the Golden Gate Bridge is abstractedly displayed in a new light, deconstructed to show the many elements that make up the city’s majestic centrepiece.
Axiom Hotel offers a modern meeting and event space ideal for small corporate gatherings and conferences. With nearly 1,000ft², the space includes convenient technology amenities such as a power outlet at every seat, as well as distinctive lounges and hot-spot areas for inspiring collaboration outside of the meeting room. Dubbed the Hub, the flexible room can be divided in two and accommodates 12-18 people in each side or 36 for the full space. As with the rest of the hotel, the Hub offers fibre optic cabling throughout for seamless wireless connectivity, and wall-mounted flat-panel 70” television displays feature HDMI and VGA capabilities built-in. The wireless presentation connectivity accommodates both PC and Mac computers, and touchscreen control panels allow presenters to easily change display modes. The space also features an integrated sound system for microphones and audio from laptops, and up to 32 attendees can connect to displays simultaneously for robust, dynamic audience participation. Suitable for networking events, the Cloud can also accommodate up to 25-30 people.
